Putnam County Auditor Robert Benroth is warning residents to beware of companies that guarantee reduced property taxes for a fee.

Benroth said the claim is misleading. Property tax appeals are considered by each county’s Board of Revisions, and each case is considered on its own merit, he said. Some appeals can even end in property taxes being increased, not decreased, he said.

Ohio residents may file a “DTE 1,” the formed used to challenge the valuation of real property, in their home county free of charge. Complaints must be filed by the March 31 deadline.

A third party is not needed to file the complaint, Benroth said.

Hancock County Auditor Charity Rauschenberg issued similar warnings in Hancock County in November.

Property records and the DTE 1 form are available at the Putnam County Auditor’s Office, 245 E. Main St., Ottawa, and are also available online at www.co.putnam.oh.us.